Neighborhood News Digest – 7 August 2023

Afghanistan

Amid humanitarian crisis, UN to cut aid to 21 million in Afghanistan – The Print

Amid a dire humanitarian crisis, the United Nations humanitarians on Friday warned of a severe aid funding gap for aid to more than 21 million people in Afghanistan even though some relief has already been reduced, Khaama Press reported.Click here to read… [2]

UN official criticizes ban on women's education in Afghanistan by Taliban – Business Standard

The UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser for the Transforming Education Summit, Leonardo Garnier, has criticized the ban on women's education in Afghanistan. Garnier in a press conference said the UN and the international community's pressure on Taliban is "critical" owing to the country's restrictions on girls' education. He noted that currently, Afghanistan is the most extreme case of exclusion of girls.Click here to read… [3]

Kazakhstan signs $200 million in contracts with Afghanistan – Eurasianet

When the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, neighbors to the north looked on with a blend of anxiety and dismay. Fast-forward two years and Kazakhstan has just finished giving the red carpet treatment to a Taliban delegation for a business forum that took place in Astana on August 2-3.Click here to read… [4]

Bangladesh

Bangladesh PMO calls for raising leather exports to $5 bn by 2027 - Fribre2Fashion

The Bangladesh Prime Minister's Office (PMO) yesterday asked authorities to create an environment to raise export of leather and leather goods to $5 billion by 2027 from $1.7 billion now. PM's principal secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah chaired the meeting.Click here to read… [5]

Explained: Bangladesh's Approval Of New Transit Routes With Northeast India - Swarajya Marg

The Bangladesh government has given its approval to four transportation routes for the movement of goods in Tripura and other northeastern Indian states, as per recent reports. The routes include two routes connecting Chittagong Port and Mongla Port to Agartala via Akhaura, in Tripura. Further the notified routes include connecting Chittagong and Mongla Port to Srimantapur via Bibirbazar, in West Bengal.Click here to read… [6]

Trade settlement with Bangladesh in rupee will boost bilateral commerce: Confederation of Indian Industry - TBS News

Bangladesh and India commencing cross-border trade settlement in Indian rupee (INR) would promote two-way commerce by reducing transaction cost, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said on Sunday (6 August).Click here to read… [7]

Bhutan

Fuel prices spike as cost of crude oil surge in India – Kuensel

Bhutan witnessed a significant increase in fuel prices on August 1 midnight. Fuel price in Thimphu has increased to Nu 71.53 for Petrol and Nu 72.46 for Diesel with a spike of Nu 4.80 petrol and Nu 5.68 diesel. In Phuentsholing, it is Nu 63.39 for Petrol and Nu 65.38 for Diesel. A litre of petrol costs Nu 73.73 and Nu 74.93 for diesel in Trashigang. Whereas in Rangjung it increased to Nu 75.26 for petrol and Nu 74.10 for diesel.Click here to read… [8]

Bhutan Youth Development Fund observes Walk the Talk event to create awareness about cervical cancer – The Print

The Bhutan Youth Development Fund in collaboration with the country’s Health Ministry and the World Health Organisation on Sunday observed the Walk the Talk event to create awareness and educate people about cervical cancer, The Bhutan Live reported.Click here to read… [9]

Maldives

MNP's Nazim officially joins presidential race with candidacy submission - Avas

The Maldives National Party (MNP)'s presidential candidate Mohamed Nazim has filed his candidacy form with the Election Commission to contest the upcoming presidential election. Nazim today handed over his candidacy form to Election Commission (EC)'s Chairman, Fuwad Thawfeek, at a ceremony held at the Election Centre established at Dharubaaruge. Nazim’s running mate, Ahmed Adeel Naseer, was present alongside Nazim.Click here to read… [10]

Maldives top court rejects jailed ex-leader's plea for eligibility to run again for president - ABC News

The highest court in the Maldives on Sunday rejected a plea from the country's jailed former president that he be made eligible to contest next month's presidential election. Abdullah Yameen's lawyers argued the former leader should be eligible to stand in the election because the corruption case that he was convicted of is under appeal in a higher court and there is a possibility it will be overturned.Click here to read… [11]

Myanmar

Myanmar: Why the lady still matters - WION News

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK), also known as ‘the Lady’, has been a transformative leader in Myanmar’s political evolution since 1988. Daughter of General Aung San – ‘the Father of Burma’; the courageous champion of democracy and human rights whose shine dimmed due to her controversial stand on the Rohingya issue; the state counsellor or effectively the head of government who lost power because of the military coup in February 2021, Suu Kyi is back at the centre of discussions about the nation’s future.Click here to read… [12]

India steps up rail connectivity with Myanmar in outreach to ASEAN - Indian Narrative

After the inauguration of the much-awaited Sittwe Port in Myanmar, the Indian Railways has now announced linking the neighbouring country with Mizoram. It has approved the final location survey of a 223 km rail line from Aizawl to Hbichhuah in Mizoram, near the Myanmar border. Sources said that landlocked Nepal and Bhutan could also benefit once the project is complete.Click here to read… [13]

Unrest in Myanmar linked to ongoing ethnic strife in India’s Manipur state - Asia News Network

Unrest in Myanmar since the coup in 2021 has cast a long shadow on the neighbouring north-eastern Indian state of Manipur, with a spurt in illegal migration from the nation and the flourishing drug trade across the porous border adding to concerns that have fanned ethnic conflict in the state. Majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities in Manipur have clashed with each other since early May, leaving more than 150 dead.Click here to read… [14]

Nepal

Nepal awaits India’s decision on several hydropower procurement deals – The Kathmandu Post

Nepal is awaiting India’s decision on a number of hydropower-related issues as restlessness grows in the country over the southern neighbour’s continued delay in taking decisions. Despite initialling a 25-year-long inter-governmental framework agreement on selling Nepal’s electricity to the southern neighbour during the state visit of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to India from May 31 to June 3, the agreement has not been signed yet. The agreement would have guaranteed long-term market access for the Nepal-generated electricity to the Indian market.Click here to read… [15]

PM Modi Speaks With Nepalese Counterpart To Strengthen Indo-Nepal Friendship – NDTV

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with his Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Saturday and reviewed various aspects of the India-Nepal cooperation to strengthen the deep bonds of friendship between the two countries. The telephone conversation between PM Modi and Prachanda continues the tradition of high level exchanges between the two countries.Click here to read… [16]

Nepal shouldn’t get too close to India at the cost of China: Maoist party members – The Indian Express

In talks for four days now, some members of the central committee of Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s party have not favourably evaluated his official visit to India in June, it is learnt. At a meeting with the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-MC), the members said this visible tilt towards India — described by ‘Prachanda’ as historic — will anger China. Parsuram Tamang, one such committee member, warned that such a situation is not ideal for the Himalayan country which has long pursued a non-aligned foreign policy with China.Click here to read… [17]

Pakistan

At least 19 killed, 50 injured as train derails near Nawabshah – Dawn

At least 19 people were killed and 50 others injured after multiple bogies of the Hazara Express derailed near the Sarhari Railway Station near Nawabshah on Sunday, according to Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon. According to information shared by officials present at the site, the death toll and the number of injured were higher than the numbers shared by Memon and are expected to rise further.Click here to read… [18]

Pakistan’s Imran Khan sentenced to three years in prison, arrested – AlJazeera

Police have arrested Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan in the eastern city of Lahore after a court sentenced him to three years in prison for illegally selling state gifts. The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was accused of misusing his premiership from 2018 to 2022 to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than 140 million Pakistani rupees ($497,500).Click here to read… [19]

Pakistan election set for delay as boundaries redrawn – Financial Times

Pakistani officials have approved a plan to redraw the country’s electoral boundaries, probably delaying this year’s election by several months and further fuelling tensions in the wake of the jailing of popular opposition leader Imran Khan. A council chaired by prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday approved a new census that showed Pakistan’s population had risen to 241mn, a decision that will require authorities to redraw constituency maps before elections can be held.Click here to read… [20]

Sri Lanka

IRCTC Launches International Tour To Nepal And Shri Ramayana Yatra To Sri Lanka - Swarajya Marg

In view of the huge trend of international travel among tourists, IRCTC has decided to launch two popular tours to Sri Lanka and Nepal. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) offers the flight from Delhi to Kathmandu on 21 August, 2023. In Kathmandu, one will get to visit Pashupati Nath Temple, Patan, Tibet Refugee Camp etc., whereas in Pokhara there will be a chance to visit Manokamna Temple and beautiful mountains in the surrounding.Click here to read… [21]

Sri Lanka Foreign Minister to Conclude Iran Visit - Foreign Brief

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister, Ali Sabry, will conclude his three-day official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran today. Sabry received a special invitation from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and was also invited to pay a courtesy call on the Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi.Click here to read… [22]

Sri Lanka to launch climate justice forum for vulnerable countries - Telangana Today

Sri Lanka will launch a climate justice forum for vulnerable and developing countries, a senior minister said here on Sunday. “Sri Lanka has proposed the establishment of a Climate Justice Forum (CJF) with the aim of accelerating the financing of losses and damages and providing an alternative and non-traditional approach,” Environment Minister Naseer Ahamed said.Click here to read… [23]